We often have large hail predicted during warm weather thunderstorms, but it usually never materializes. Today it did, starting out small and quickly increasing in size. I've never seen hail this big before—and look at those spikes. Very cool.

Thanks to everyone who has been asking if we're okay after last night's devastating weather hit Missouri. We had the animals tucked in and everything battened down before the storm arrived, and thankfully we weren't near the tornado. Our hearts go out to all of the people and animals in Joplin.

Check back later today for the Monday Dose of Cute and the Daily Donkey 106.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Blogger, my awesome blog host, had a little hiccup yesterday, and nobody was able to post for about 20 hours. But after the tireless Blogger team spent all night chasing down the problem, we're back and ready to blog better than ever.

I'm a little bummed that after 95 consecutive Daily Donkeys (in addition to my regular daily posts) I had to miss a day, but at least I can say it definitely wasn't my fault—and The Daily Donkey is back today, too.

Even though I'm not there physically all the time, I want them to have something that says, I'm out here. I'm okay. I love you. I want them to bite into a cookie, and think of me, and smile. Food is love. Food has a power. I knew it in my mind, but now I know it in my heart. —Ginny Selvaggio in The Kitchen Daughter

The heroine in Jael McHenry's debut novel, The Kitchen Daughter, is Ginny Selvaggio, a young woman with Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. Ginny's long time special interest? Cooking.

The process of following a recipe—its rhythm, its order, its predictable result—is calming to her, so when she finds herself overwhelmed, embarrassed, or uncomfortable she copes by turning to food, either in the kitchen or in her mind.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

One sneaky little lamb tried to escape, but my hunky farmguy hopped the fence and saved the day.

Now that lambing season—which lasted less than a month!—seems to be over (it doesn't look like that last ewe is pregnant), it's time to focus on other things, like keeping the sheep in tiptop condition. This means working them, which is always so much fun! Not.